Got a full fridge? That is something that people in the Sino-Russian border town of Heihe wouldn't worry about during the long and harsh winters, as they can just use their balconies for food storage. With an average temperature fluctuating between -16.6°C and -27.4°C, the city of Heihe is indeed one of the coldest places in China. For the convenience of storage, many foods can simply be frozen in winter, forming an "ice-and-snow diet" custom. At the morning market in Heihe, almost all kinds of food here can be frozen, such the iconic snack in the northeast - Bingtanghulu (sugar-coated hawthrons), fruits, meat and seafood.

In 2019, Heihe became the northernmost free trade zone in China with the inauguration of the China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone.